Best of Belwin Jazz: Jazz Band Collection for Jazz Ensemble: 1st Trumpet Book

A blend of jazz classics and contemporary arrangements that swing with real groove. The tunes span from vintage standard ballads to rhythmically energized pieces, offering first trumpet a mix of legit melodic responsibility and the energy of driving big band section work.

Jazz ensemble directors programming for Grade 3 bands who want repertoire that challenges without overwhelming. First trumpet players at the intermediate level will find soloistic moments that demand musicality and control while staying within technical reach.

• Anchor the lead on the ballads by listening to the recordings first; hearing how the melody breathes in "My Foolish Heart" and "On Green Dolphin Street" prevents the section from pushing tempo on the lyrical passages.
• In the swing tunes, lock your articulation vocabulary with the second trumpet. These arrangements rely on section precision to lock the time feel, especially on "Jumpin' at the Woodside" where the backbeat definition matters.
• Balance your volume on the ensemble hits. First trumpet often carries the melody line on these punches, but the section needs to speak as one voice, not feature the lead.

Build your jazz concert around these ten charts, or distribute them across two semesters to develop your section's ensemble reading skills while accumulating material for spring performance. The recordings let you establish stylistic reference points early in rehearsal, shortening the learning curve significantly.

• Leading a big band section on melody and ensemble figures
• Swing and jazz articulation in ballad and uptempo contexts
• Phrasing jazz lines with rubato and musicality
• Reading jazz chord symbols and comping rhythms in section context
• Sectional blend and intonation in big band texture
• Jazz-rock rhythmic feel and coordination with rhythm section